Gatorland

Florida is a natural habitat for this magnificent creature, at Gatorland you can see them close up and personal. It’s a great way to spend the odd half of day during your vacation. Gatorland is known as the Alligator Capital of the World but it is still a place that many visitors have yet to visit.

You would think with a name like Gatorland that this is all you would see during your visit, well you would be wrong to think that. They have a wide selection of other animals including crocodiles, snakes and birds. Other activities include a nature walk, bird sanctuary, breeding marsh and they also have a petting zoo. So there is something for everyone to see and do.

One of our favourite places is Flamingo Lagoon. This can be found near the Very Merry Aviary and includes some of the most elegant birds you will ever see, the flamingo. The American Flamingo also known as firebirds can be seen here. They do have other species of birds including Black Vultures and Herons so keep your eye out and take your camera

Our twin boys love the next stop on our visit which is Allies Barnyard (Petting Zoo). Goats, Llama, Macaw, Chickens, Ducks, Deer and Sheep are some of the animals they have here for the youngsters to get close to. Be warned though, once the young ones get in with these, its very difficult to get them out!

Snakes of Florida gives you an insight as to your neighbours, letting you get close to them in a safe environment. They say that these creatures are misunderstood but I’ll let the experts believe that! There’s loads of snakes on display including some of the more common ones like the Diamondback Rattlesnake but some of the not so common ones like the Cottonmouth Water Moccasin and the Coral Snake. Fantastic if you’re a reptile enthusiast.

The Gift shop at the entrance to Gatorland, which can’t be missed as it is a massive Gator Mouth, is a great place to pick up those last minute gifts for friends and family. A massive 7000 sq ft, with gifts from soft toys to T-Shirts and even Alligator Leather goods including wallets, purses, belts and even boots! What ever takes your fancy!

Overall a fantastic day out that is fantastic value for money….. Makes me wonder why it took us so long to visit but we will definitely be going back in the future.